Gov. Perry and the HPV Vaccine..The Rest Of The Story

Gov. Perry has been taking heat for the controversial executive order he issued four years ago that mandated that all 11- and 12-year-old girls be vaccinated for human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer. The legislature made it non mandatory, and Perry has now admitted that he would handle it differently. He still believes in the vaccine, but he thinks he made a mistake by doing it by executive order.

Many are trying to link his order with political donations. Perry has said he was influenced by many things like his wife (who was a nurse) and the fact that both parents had cancer. But this local story may be the real reason Perry felt so passionate about this. Whether you believe in a mandate or not, no one can doubt Perry’s heart was in the right place.

During the course of the debate Perry met Heather Burcham, 31 years old, who was dying of cervical cancer. She was an activist for this vaccine because she wanted to make a difference and assure no woman would go through what she was going through.

Perry and Heather might have lost the political fight, but that didn’t stop Perry from staying in touch with Heather:

Long after the order was rescinded and Perry lost the political fight, they kept talking. Heather had Perry’s personal cell phone number and he invited her for a day at a friend’s ranch.

Wilson, a friend of Heather’s, recalled, “It was a great day, one of the great days of her life. She loved the whole thing.”

Months later, when the end was near for Heather, Perry quietly snuck into Houston and sat by her bedside. No press, no statement — just the governor and one of his 21 million constituents.

This reminds me of the saying, “Character is what you do when no one is looking.”

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Brutus said it best, “the evil that men do lives after them. The good is often interred with their bones.” The problem with politics is that everyone focuses on flaws, often magnifying them beyond the point that the truth can be known. I disagreed with Perry when he issued the order, not because of the potential harm to individuals, but to the potential harm to liberty. Everyone has the right to make their own mistakes. The vaccine order assumed that all girls 12 and over were or would have unprotected sex. We now know that the same virus can cause a similar cancer in men. The only sure way to prevent STD is to not have sex. There was and continues to be an assumption that all 12-year-olds will have unprotected sex with either multiple partners or with a partner who has had multiple contacts. And that, folks, is not the case. But just like George W. Bush visiting the wounded at Ft. Hood, the good that these men do will simply be buried with them…except to those to whom the good was done.

Rick Perry has a lot of things to answer for but, frankly, this is not one of them.

Mandating a vaccine in order to eliminate (or hopefully eliminate) a disease is a good thing and it is not new. Polio was basically wiped out in this country through a mandatory vaccination program. Measles, mumps, etc. all are vaccinated against through a mandatory (or basically mandatory) programs. These vaccines (like all vaccines) are not completely risk free either.

I think part of the reason that some on the right have a problem with this particular vaccine is because it attempts to eradicate a sexually transmitted disease and they feel that somehow its eradication would make people more likely to have sex outside of traditional marriage. First, that is a stupid assumption. Humans have always had sex outside of marriage and that is going to continue. Second, I find it particularly revolting that some would block an attempt to eradicate a disease simply because they believe that disease is a good thing to have in the world as a deterrent to keep people from doing something they find immoral in their particular moral code.

Yes, Perry admitted he “went about it the wrong way”, and that he “should have talked to the Legislature first.” What does that mean, exactly? That he should have given it to the Legislature and let them pass it or not, and then abide by their decision? That he should have given the Legislature first crack at it and only issued an EO if they failed to act in concert with his wishes? That he should have discussed it with the Legislature and if/when they said “there should be no law about this”, then have a press conference letting people know he supported the voluntary vaccination? That he should have told the Legislature “I don’t trust you twits, so I’m going to issue an EO. Goodbye.” I’ve been following this closely, and I haven’t seen or heard him adequately explain his vague comment.

[…] Gov. Perry and the HPV Vaccine..The Rest Of The StoryHouston Chronicle (blog)Perry has been taking heat for the controversial executive order he issued four years ago that mandated that all 11- and 12-year-old girls be vaccinated for human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer. …Study: For HPV, two shots may be enoughFierceVaccinesHPV Vaccine Cervarix: 2 Doses Just As Good?Huffington PostTampon HPV test kit for use at homeNursing TimesScottish Daily Record -EmpowHer -CNN (blog)all 202 news articles » […]

I am surprised that you don’t see Perry’s mandatory vaccine as an intrusion into citizens’ personal lives. I agree with the vaccine, just as I agree with the flu vaccine, however, I do not want the government having any authority over the care of my daughter. If I CHOOSE to get her vaccinated, it will be my choice, not Perry’s, and as I stated, I am very surprised to see that you don’t agree.

Perry’s connection to Merck and the “mandatory” usage by Texas is quite disturbing. I bet this would have been a VERY large commission check…

*note: I do see it as an intrusion, and he does too…now. I’m just pointing out the reasons why he was for it. Not that I agree with it.-TexasSparkle

BTW, according to the CDC “flu-associated deaths ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people” per year. According to Perry’s logic, maybe this means the Government should intrude our lives and REQUIRE everyone to get a flu shot every year.

Would you be opposed to that, or do you think that we have the right to choose our own care, regardless of what Government Bureaucrats think?

It’s a shame when politics, the press, and bloggers attack and mischaracterize people for their own selfish benefit. There are good and well meaning people of all political affiliations. There is so little regard for others yet folks wonder what’s happening to the world. If politicians, pundits and bloggers would just realise that they are defaming a parent, a child, a sibling, another creation of the Almighty maybe they would change their misguided ways. Then again, right before reading this blog I read where Perry was calling Obama a socialist (haven’t we been down that empty minded road before?) and Palin slept with Glen Rice (disappointed in Glen). Just ridiculous – sure there is more smut, dirt and malevolent offerings to come.

But what you didn’t read in this so-called newspaper is that Todd and Sarah denied the claims. But, that IS to be expected. The Chronicle STRIVES to NOT report the news. And the sad thing is, their liberal readers PREFER it that way. They LOVE being kept ignorant.

They should have had to option to opt-in, not out. You’re also missing the hundreds of thousands donated to the governor’s association (of which Perry was head) and the fact that his ex chief of staff was Merck’s chief lobbyist when the deal was made. Crony capitalism, the transparency of it all is mind boggling.

Godiva, S Michaels never wrote that Merck gave hundreds of thousands to Perry, rather they gave hundreds of thousand to the Republican Governors Association, of which Perry was the chair. The RGA is in turn one of the biggest donors to Perry! Merck gave about $350,000 to the RGA. Bob Perry gave it millions. So the friends of Perry who got grants and contracts now have a second way to thank him with their largesse! It is very sad that the conservatives don’t care about details nor facts. For conservatives, the thinking is, “If I believe it, it must be a fact. The more vociferously I state it the more truth it has.”

No matter which way you think it was written, neither of those options shows even a smidgen of respect for parental rights.

Oh, but he made it mandatory so that insurance companies would have to pay for it as part of the school vaccination program, you say? Where have we seen this before, this heavy-handed authoritarian controls and mandates placed on supposedly free-market businesses? Hint: it borders the North Sea, Denmark, Netherlands, and Poland, among others.

You have repeatedly asked folks here to “Name one thing he [Perry] has done wrong.”

Okay.

1) He lied and tempted God, when he publicly stated that “if I’m still alive and the Good Lord keeps me healthy, then absolutely [I will finish out my term as Governor]”.

2) Re. the Gardasil EO, he said in the Gubernatorial campaign that he DID NOT REGRET HIS DECISION. He continued to maintain that stance until put on a national stage and faced a national GOP electorate that is not nearly as accepting of such actions (the Texas GOP is notoriously “my party right or wrong”). So, he changed his position when it became inconvenient to stick to his convictions.

3) Long after it had been publicly reported that the sponsors had canvassed enough votes to support the “TSA Tyranny” bill in a special session of the Texas legislature (each topic must be called out by the governor in order to be considered in special session), he stated that adding it to the session wasn’t going to happen, because “they don’t have the votes”. He was recorded saying this, confronted in the press with the truth, and then added the TSA issue to the special session. The point: He was either A) grossly uninformed about one of the biggest hot-button issues in his state at the time, or B) pretending to not know the facts when he actually did, thus trying to let the whole issue die. Why would he want to let it die? Because the US Dept. of Homeland Security had threatened to cut off air travel in Texas (thus crippling much air travel around the country) if the bill passed. Why would a pro-states-rights governor back down in the face of a blustery bluff by an out of control fed. gov’t? A truly pro-states-rights governor wouldn’t.

Who’s ignoring the truth? I recognize that he only collected 5k from Merck. I’m saying that Merck also donated 300k to the Republican Governors Association while he was president of that association. They raise money on behalf of governors, just like the Democratic Governor’s Association does and spend it in races. That’s a lot of influence.

So when the President does something by executive order, he’s trying to be a king, but when the Governor does something by executive order, his heart was in the right place? Perhaps when the President does things like that, maybe his heart is in the right place as well. Something to think about.

*note: No, in both cases it is an overstep of power. Both may have their heart in the right place, but both would be wrong.-TexasSparkle

*note: No, in both cases it is an overstep of power. Both may have their heart in the right place, but both would be wrong.-TexasSparkle

Right, but my point is in your treatment of the President vs the Governor. In regards to motivation, I don’t believe you have ever defended the President with an entire blog post dedicated to what a big heart he has. Nor have I seen you call Governor Perry a king, or accused him of trying to be king. That’s what I’m saying. If you have, please, by all means show me.

*note: I think Obama is motivated by what he thinks is right. No doubt. I just happen to disagree with him on what is right. I think his Obamacare comes from him wanting to help people. But the difference is Perry finally understood that even with the best intentions, this is a country where you give people are free to make their own decisions. Obama is not there yet.-TexasSparkle

The only reason that Governor Perry is taking this heat is because Michelle Bachmann is giving the story legs. It is really time that this lady took a very hard look at where she is going and what she is doing. She has not a prayer of being elected or even nominated to the presidency…maybe she can be Ron Paul’s VP candidate. Bringing Dr. Paul into this post he needs to take stock of his chances too…they are none…he is the Republican version of Dennis Kucinich (sp?) like Mitt Romney is the Republican version of John Kerry (I expect to see him in a tan farmers canvas jacket calling everyone “folks” sooner than later). All of the Republican “candidates” need to understand what is at stake..an incumbent president has a lot of vote gathering power…those who are trying so hard to be relevant need to realize their irrelevancy at this point and further realize that they are not electable…now stop shooting down those who are, giving the demicrats ammunition to discredit and smear those who have a chance of winning…in other words get on the team. There are no coherent arguments that could ever support having 5 or 6 hopeless “candidates” ganging up on one or two of those who have a chance to sending Barak (bowing barry) Obama back to community organizing.
My message to Bachmann and Paul is start supporting those who can win and stuff the negatives of the candidates of their party…they claim to be Republicans…quit acting like quibbling demicrats.

Anyone can win. All it takes is for the people who support their ideals and integrity to stand up and say “we will support you” and then actually do it by voting for whoever they consider the right man/woman for the job. To do otherwise is cowardly.

Is it possible that YOUR personal opinions on the Governor are coloring your objectivity?

I have no real doubt that the Governor’s heart was in the right place on this, and as he pointed out in the Tea-Party Debate, does anyone really think he could be “bought” for $5000?

But where Governor Perry over-reached (and this should be evident to the “get Government out of our private lives” crowd) was in mandating the shot(s). Government can and should mandate childhood vaccinations for contagious and serious illnesses like MMR, but in this case I think they should recommend it and offer to provide it if the parent or guardian elects to have it administered.

Another argument says that it is unnecessary for 11-12 year old girls to get this vaccine. That simply doesn’t hold water. Studies have shown that the onset of puberty in young girls is now as early as 9 yrs old! …and guess what, not all young girls and boys tell their parents exactly what they are doing. So, I have no problem with the shot, the age involved…only that the State felt it was appropriate to mandate it’s use.

*note: I agree with you though. He shouldn’t have mandated by executive order. I didn’t choose to vaccinate my daughter. When she was old enough, I let her research and she made the decision not to get it for now. I very much believe in personal responsibility.-TexasSparkle

•Issuing the EO requiring vaccinations for young girls. Even though a parent could opt-out (for religious or philosophical reasons), refusing the child’s shot, people were upset that the EO required inoculation. Had the vaccination been voluntary, there would have been no question.
•Perry’s former chief of staff (2002-2004) was a lobbyist for Merck at the time and is thought to have had undue influence on Perry on behalf of Merck’s drug.
•Merck contributed a grand total of $6,000 to Perry’s reelection campaign. While it is unseemly in its timing, $6,000 is barely enough money to get noticed, much less to buy the support of a governor, least of all a “high roller” like Perry’s critics claim he is. That Merck contribution amounted to .00025 of the $24 million dollar campaign funds that he received that year.
There are still some who are convinced that Merck contributed more than a paltry $6,000 to Perry. They are simply wrong. Merck gave two checks, one for $1,000 and another for $5,000 to Perry in the 2006 election timeframe (in 2008, they contributed a whopping $2,500). Here is a source to view all of Perry’s contributions: ProPublica. In fact, Merck has only contributed $23,500 to Perry over a 1998-2010 span, not exactly George Soros money.”

January 3rd, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress:
At the time:
The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77
The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%
The Unemployment rate was 4.6%
George Bush’s Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB CREATION!
Remember the day…
January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House
Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate
Banking Committee.
The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy?
BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES!
THANK YOU DEMOCRATS for taking us from 13,000 DOW, 3.5 GDP and 4.6%
Unemployment… to this CRISIS by (among MANY other things) dumping
5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac FIASCOS! (BTW: Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to
stop Fannie & Freddie – starting in 2001 because it was financially
risky for the US economy).
And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie Mac?
OBAMA
And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie?
OBAMA and the Democratic Congress
So when some one tries to blame Bush…
REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007…. THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!”
Bush may have been in the car but the Democrats were in charge of the gas
pedal and steering wheel they were driving.

During the course of the debate Perry met Heather Burcham, 31 years old, who was dying of cervical cancer. She was an activist for this vaccine because she wanted to make a difference and assure no woman would go through what she was going through.”

Gov Perry did this to help Brucham assure that no woman would go through what she was going through?

How does a Government prevent anyone from going through life and death experiences?

And IF cervical cancer is caused by sexually-transmitted virus specifically in young girls pre-maturely sexually active with multiple sex partners then would not the prudent action be to discourage young girls from engaging in pre-mature sexual activity with multiple sex partners?

And say the 12 year girls receive the vaccine to prevent crevical cancer caused by sexually-transmitted virus then what is to prevent the 12 year old girls from eventually from dying of AIDS?

(And here all this time is was believed that the State of Texas was some Jesusland of righteous Bibical Christians. Turns out it’s just another state of Ritual worshippers turning their faces from God by offering their Rituals up in sport stadiums)

[…] from his strict commitment to having made the right choice in the years following the …Gov. Perry and the HPV Vaccine..The Rest Of The StoryHouston Chronicle (blog)Study: For HPV, two shots may be enoughFierceVaccinesHealth News: New home […]

I have HPV and I am an engineer who works for the largest STD dating and support site STDslove. com. I have to tell you a secret, you can choose not to believe me. But the truth is that this site has more than 1,880,000 members and about 80% members are good looking in my estimation.

Unfortunately, STD rates soar worldwide and most people with STDs don’t even know that they have them. The government should grant more money for STD education to lower the rates of STD transmission.

This is what the Tea Party sub group of the Republican Party stand for:
Should not force people to get shot to save their lives.
Make women that are thinking of terminating a pregnancy, get a ultrasound before proceeding.
If you don’t have Insurance, and you are in accident, let them die.

What happens if I am in accident, and they cann’t find my insurance.
They should just let me die. I feel better already.
Sounds like something out of Monty Python Movie.(Bring us your dead)

*note: Let me help you get it straight. Mandating that a Doctor fully inform a patient about any surgery has been in place forever. Abortion rights activist have kept that from this surgery for years. Heaven forbid a woman should be fully informed on what is about to be taken from her. I really don’t get you people who think ignorance is bliss when it comes to abortion. One nutty Ron Paul follower yells out “Yeah” on letting a guy die and you take that as what the entire Tea Party believes? Really? I guess since Rev. Wright yelled That America should be “damned” the entire Democrat party believes that? Trust me, when it come to “Bring us your dead” the Democrats have that sewn up with over 3000 dead unborn children a DAY in this country for the last 30 years.-TexasSparkle

I appreciate that the Governor recognizes that he was wrong on the order. However, that “simple” mistake betrays a deeper instinct that is the real problem. Like so many politicians, Gov. Perry’s first instinct is to attack a problem using government intervention. That is Obama’s first instinct and it is Perry’s. They just disagree on the order in which problems should be attacked.